"
"He shall be more amiable than I am--scolding my husband of husbands;"
and she leaned toward him, baby and all, for a kiss from his lips.
We say at school "Seniores priores"--let favor go by seniority; but
where babies adorn the scene, it is "juniores priores" with that sex to
which the very young are confided.
To this rule, as might be expected, Lady Bassett furnished no
exception; she was absorbed in baby, and trusted Mr. Bassett a good
deal to his attendant, who bore an excellent character for care and
attention.
Now Mr. Bassett was strong on his pins and in his will, and his
nurse-maid, after all, was young; so he used to take his walks nearly
every day to Mrs. Meyrick's: she petted him enough, and spoiled him in
every way, while the nurse-maid was flirting with the farm-servants out
of sight.
Sir Charles Bassett was devoted to the boy, and used always to have him
to his study in the morning, and to the drawing-room after dinner, when
the party was small, and that happened much oftener now than
heretofore; but at other hours he did not look after him, being a
business man, and considering him at that age to be under his mother's
care.
One day the only guest was Mr. Rolfe; he was staying in the house for
three days, upon a condition suggested by himself--viz.
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